Coca-Cola Harmony - Behind The Scenes With The New Ad

Readers of the blog will get a sneak peak at the new Coke ad that will premiere this weekend during the DAYTONA 500, but that is only fitting as the new spot pulled its music out of the Archives.

The new spot, entitled “Harmony,” offers a NASCAR® twist on one of the most popular commercials ever – Coca-Cola’s iconic “Hilltop,” which first aired in 1971 – as several drivers belt out the famous song, “I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke” while battling one another on the racetrack. In the ad, Coca-Cola Racing Family members Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, David Ragan, Elliott Sadler and Tony Stewart show how even the most competitive rivals can Open Happiness with Coca-Cola.

“I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke,” the iconic song from “Hilltop” which was written in less than 24 hours, became an instant hit and inspired numerous renditions, including three top 40 versions of I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing. Within 10 days of the U.S. release of "Hilltop," The Coca-Cola Company received 10,000 letters from people expressing support for the message in the ad.

“It’s been both fun and an honor to be a part of creating a new NASCAR® take on a commercial that is such a big part of Coke’s history,” said driver Kevin Harvick. “Most of us drivers should probably stick to our day jobs, though, because I’m pretty sure our version of the famous Coca-Cola song won’t make it to the top of the charts.”